How to write a literature review Dr. Laureen Fregeau

Topics we will cover Why review the literature??? Terminology Literature review format Literature review topics and subtopics Locating literature review sources Choosing appropriate sources Your opinion Bibliography format

Why review the literature??? To gain a background in your topic area To know what other authors have already found in their research on your topic To assist you in designing/selecting your methodology, your interview/observation topics, subtopics & questions To have information to which you can compare the information you collect

Terminology Scholarly sourceScholarly source: peer reviewed, based on empirical data, including a substantial review of the literature, published in a respected journal (not from a magazine, newspaper, newsletter, trade journal or the like).

Literature review format Title page with name, course # and topic Introduction stating the subtopics you will cover and other introductory information Sub-topic #1 (use as the first sub-title) –text stating information pertinent to the subtopic and citing the (author(s), date(s)) of sources Additional sub-topics (using sub-titles) –text stating information pertinent to the subtopic and citing the (author(s), date(s)) of sources Bibliography

Locating literature review sources USA library home page contains a set of indexes through which you can search for scholarly/empirical articles and books scholarly papers presented at national conferences Use ERIC on Ebsco Host, select “advanced search,” check the “peer reviewed” box Put in your topic/several subtopics A list of possible sources will come up Some of these (not all) will be empirical and scholarly sources, but you will need to look at them carefully to decide!

Locating literature review sources - continued You can go directly to the library and use the indexes they have on CD rom Alternative sources for the cultural study will include anthropology or sociological abstracts Books for the stacks may be viable sources Local libraries are unlikely sources of appropriate materials You may NOT use class materials as sources

Choosing appropriate sources Select empirical sources with substantial literature reviews and bibliographies containing 25 or more references Select sources that you can obtain at the USA Library, on line, through inter-library loan, or in full-text format Remember that on-line and full-text articles may be easy, but are often NOT scholarly or pertinent Select sources that cover your topic and sub- topics

Your opinion The literature review contains only information FROM the articles or other scholarly sources. It is not a critique nor a literary review and thus contains NONE of your opinion!

Bibliography format Use APA 4 as your style The Suggested Reading List for the course uses APA style and can be used as a reference Be sure you do not reference items using ERIC numbers, “et. al.”, lacking authors, publishers, volume numbers, using only URLs, etc. Check to be sure each item in your bibliography is complete